Vacuum air valve



June 27, 1933. w. T. GIBSON 1,915,661

VACUUM AIR VALVE Filed Feb. 5, 1932 .4 AZZ' WLZz'amZf Gib Patented June 27, 1933 UNITED STA eration.

This object is illustrated in the accompanying drawing.

For the purpose of illustrating the invention, one preferred form thereof is illustrated in the drawing, his form having been found to give satisfactory and reliable results, although itis to be understood that the various instrumentalities of which the invention consists can be variously arranged'and organ' ized, and the invention is not limited to the precise arrangement and organization of these instrumentalities as herein shown and described except as required by the scope of the appended claims. 7

Of the drawing:

Figurel represents a vertical section of a device embodying the principles of the present invention with the outlet valve open.

Figure2 represents a vertical section of same with the outlet valve closed.

Figure 3 represents a plan of the perforated disk in the lower end of the device.

Figures 4 and 5 represent a plan and end elevation of the bimetallic float-supporting element.

' Figure 6 represents a plan of the lower flexible wafer to be attached to the valve guide.

spacer ring, and

Figure 10 represents a plan of the weight for retaining in contact the edges of said wafers.

Similar characters indicate like parts throughout the several figures of the drawing.

In the drawing, 10 is a base of a casing including a cylindrical member 11 and a cap 32 12, said cap having a lateral air outlet 13.

The base 10 has a lateral tubular bOss lt VACUUM AIR VALVE Application filed February 3, 1932. Serial No. 590,650.

chamber 15.

attained by the mechanism sage 17 through the boss 14.

10 is a perforated plate 18.

thereof.

opening 23.

TES PATENT OFFICE WILLIAM T. GIBSON, F EVERETT, MASSACHUSETTS adapted to be secured to a steam radiator to admit steam from said radiator to the A siphon tube 16 extends from said chamber 15 through the boss 14 to the radiator, 5 said tube having a diameter less than the pas- Within the chamber 15 and resting on. a ledge formed on the inner wall of said base 6 Supported on this plate18 is a thermostatic device 19 consisting of a bimetallic strip bent U-shaped, as shown in Fig.1.

When this strip 19 is subjected to execs sive heat it will buckle, assuming the condi- 6 tion shown in Fig. 2 and raising the center A float 20 rests on said thermostatic element 19 and is raised and lowered thereby. p

Extending upwardly from the upper end of float 20 is a needle valve 21 surrounded by a guide 22 therefor, said guide having an opening 23 in its upper end adapted to be closed by said needle valve 21.

Near the upper end'of guide 22 is a lateral orifice 24 through which air may pass to the The guide 22 has an upward extension 25 of reduced diameter which projects through c a disk 26 resting on the upper end of cylinder 11 and retained in this position by the split ring 27 interposed between this disk 26 and the upper wall of the cap 12.

The ends 28 of the ring 27 are disposed ing 13.

from the disk 26.

on opposite sides of the discharge open Surrounding the extension 25 is a thin flexible wafer 29 having an annular central flange 30 which retains this wafer separated The upper end of extension 25 is upset over the upper face of wafer 29 to secure together said wafer 29 and guide 22.

Superimposed on the wafer 29 is another flexible imperforate wafer 31, the edges of which are retained in contact with the edges. of wafer 29 by means of the annular weight 1 the air valve throughout the beenf contact under normal conditions but may be raised under abnormal conditions.

The perforated disk 18 separates the chamber from the float chamber 33 and the disk 26 separates the float chamber 33 from the air chamber 34 in which is located the flexible vacuum seat consisting of the wafers 29, 31 and weight 32. r v 7 When the valve 21 is open as in Fig. 1 any air under pressure within the chamber 33 may pass through the orifice 24 and :port 23 into the air chamber 34 by lifting the wafer 31 and weight 32, thereby permitting the air to escape through the outlet 13.

As soon as the pressure Within the float chamber is. reduced the weight 32 will drop causing the edges of the wafers 29, 31 to contact and prevent any air to return to the float chamber33. V

Should water enter the float chamber 33'it will act; against the float causingit to' rise and close the valve. 7 f

Under normal condition the edgesof the wafers 29,31 are in contact whenthe. valve- 21 is open and at this time airmay pass upwardly through opening 23 to the space be tween said wafers 29, 31and cause the weight 32 to be lifted slightly, thus permitting the air from between the-wafers to be discharged through the orifioe13. I L fAs, soon as allupward movement of air is stopped the weight 32 will move the edges ofthe wafer 31 into contact with the edges ofthewafer 29 and consequently no air can beadmitted to the chamber 33 through the openings 13, 23.

a consequence ofdischarging the air fromvthe chamber 33 and preventing any further admission of air to said chamber, a partial vacuum is created in said chamber 33. Asthestea-m condenses in the chamber 33 or in any part of the heating system, the vacuum in said chamber will be increased and as the valve 21 is open at this. time there 'will'be a vacuum created between the wafers29 and 31.,

This action will cause the wafers 29, 31 to be cupped as shown in'Fig. 2 and the greater the vacuum the more said wafers will be on e I v i l hen this is occurring the weight 32 will be lifted slightly to'permit the upward movement of the edges of the lower wafer 29.

; The vacuum thus created will extend from entire heating system and prevent too rapid a condensation of steam into water.

As a matter of fact the steam will turn into a hot vapor rather than water and the entireheatmg system remains hot for a much longer period of time than is true of ordinary heating systems.

Should the steam be shut off from the radiator and said radiator become'cooled, it has ound in practice that if the steam admission valve is gradually opened again, the vapor remaining in the radiator will immediately become heated and the hottest part of the radiator will be at the air valve end and not at the steam inlet end of said radiator.

It is. believed that the operation and many advantages of the invention will be understood without further description.

Having thus described my invention, I claim 1. In a device of the class described, a casingprovid ed with a steam inlet, a perforated support therein above said inlet, a thermostatic element on said support, a float supported thereby and provided at its upper end with a needle valve, a disk near the upper end of said casing forming a chamber provided with a lateral air outlet, a guide for said needle valve depending from said disk and having an orifice in the side wall thereof and a port communicating with said chamber, and means within said chamber normally closing said port and" adapted to be lifted therefrom to permit escape of air through. said chamber. I r

2. In a device of the class described, a casing provided with a steam inlet, a perforated support therein above said inlet, a thermostatic element onsaid support, a float supported thereby and provided at its upper end witha needle valve, :1 disk near the upper end of said casing forming a chamber provided with a lateral air outlet, a guide for said needle valve depending from said disk and having an orifice in the side wall thereof and a port communicating with said chamber, and weighted means within said chamber normally closing said port and adapted to be lifted therefrom to permit escape of air through said chamber.

3. Ina device of the class described, a casing provided with a steam inlet, a perforated support therein above said inlet, a thermostatic element on said support, a float supported thereby and provided at its upper end with a needle valve, a disk near the upper end of said casing forming a chamber provided with a lateral air outlet, a guide for said needle valve depending from said disk and having an orifice in the side wall thereof and a port communicating with said chamber, a flexible wafer securedto the upper end of said guide member and separated therefrom, a thin imperforate wafer superimposed on said flexible wafer, and means for retaining the edges of said wafers in contact under normal conditions.

4. In a device of the class described, a casing provided with a steam inlet, a perforated support therein above said inlet, a thermostatic element on said support, a float supported thereby and provided at its upper end with a needle valve, a disk near the upper end of said casingforming a chamber provided with a lateral air outlet, a guide for i and a port communicating with said chamber,

a flexible wafer secured to the upper end of said guide member and separated therefrom, a thin imperforate wafer superimposed on said flexible wafer, and an annular weighted member for retaining the edges of said wafers in contact under normal conditions.

5. In a device of the class described, a casing provided with a steam inlet, a perforated support therein above said inlet, a thermostatic element on said support, a float sup ported thereby and provided at its upper end with a needle valve, a disk near the upper end of said casing forming a chamber provided with a lateral air outlet, a guide for said needle valve depending from said disk and having an orifice in the side wall thereof and a port communicating with said chamber, a flexible wafer secured to the upper end of said guide member and separated therefrom by a centrally disposed flange, a thin imperforate wafer superimposed on said flexible wafer, and means for retaining the edges of said wafers in contact under normal conditions.

6. In a device of the class described, a casing provided with a steam inlet, a float within said casing pro ided at its upper end with a needle valve, a disk near the upper end of said casing forming a chamber provided with a lateral air outlet, a guide for said needle va ve depending from said disk and, having an orifice in the side wall thereof and a port communicating with said chamber, a flexible wafer secured to the upper end of said guide member and separated therefrom, a thin imperforate wafer superimposed on said flexible wafer, means for retaining the edges of said wafers in contact under normal conditions, and a thermostatic element within sair casing adapted to raise said float to close said valve.

7. In a device of the class described, a casing provided with a steam inlet, float within said casing provided at its upper end with a needle valve, a disknear the upper end of said casing forming a chamber provided with a lateral air outlet, a guide for said needle valve depending from said disk and having an orifice in the side Wall thereof and a port communicating with said chamber, a flexible wafer secured to the upper end of said guide member and separated therefrom, a thin imperforate wafer superimposed on said flexible wafer, an annular weighted member for retaining the edges of said wafers in contact under normal conditions, and a thermostatic element within said casin adapted to raise said float to close said valve.

8. in a device of the class described, a casing provided with asteam inlet, a float within said casing provided at its upper end with.

a needle valve, a disk near the upper end of said casing forming a chamber provided with a lateral air outlet, a guide for said needle valve depending from said disk and having an orifice in the side wall thereof and a port communicating with said chamber, a flexible wafer secured to the upper end of said guide member and separated therefrom by a centrally disposed flange, a thin imperforate wafer superimposed on said flexible wafer, means for retaining the edges of said wafers in contact under normal conditions, and a thermostatic element within said casing adapted to raise said float to close said valve.

9. In a device of the class described, a cas ing provided with a steam inlet, a float with-- in said casing provided at its upper end with a needle valve, a disk near the upper end of said casing forn'iing a chamber provided with a lateral air outlet, a guide for said needle valve depending from said disk and having an orifice in the side wall thereof and a port communicating with said chamber, weighted means within said chamber normally closing said port and adapted to be lifted therefrom to permit escape of air through said chamber, and a thermostatic element Within said casing adapted to raise said float to close said valve.

10. In a device of the class described, a cas ing provided with a steam inlet, a float within said casing provided at its upper end with a needle valve, a disk near the upper end of said casing forming a chamber provided with a lateral air outlet, a guide for said needle valvedepending from said disk and having an orifice in the side wall thereof and a port communicating with said. chamber, means within saio chamber normally closing said port and adapted to be lifted therefrom to permit escape of air through said chamber,

and a thermostatic element within said casing adapted to raise said float to close said valve.

Signed by me at 294; Washington St, Boston, Mass, this 1st day of February, 1932. WILLIAM T. GIBSON. 

